Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Toilet paper doesn't smell like chocolate chip cookies

Yesterday, I swear I was being enticed by toilet paper! I was on a supply run picking up towels and a special stripper for an upcoming job. Costco was on my list, as I shopped, I found myself back by the toilet paper smelling chocolate chip cookies. It smelled delicious! I thought about swinging by the bakery until it dawned on me " toilet paper doesn't smell like chocolate chip cookies"!!?? Was the odor from the bakery drifting all the way back to the toilet paper or was this mouthwatering smell being piped in?? I don't know, all I know is there were no cookies around the toilet paper and toilet paper doesn't usually smell like cookies.

My next stop took me to a janitorial supply house. As I was loading up my stripper I smelled pumpkin pie - outside! I know this place carries cleaners, strippers, mastic remover, brushes and squeegees but there are no pumpkin pies baking there! However, it does carry toilet paper-hummm!!!!!

This isn't my first awareness of mouth watering odors enticing us to eat and buy products. I have also smelled apples and cinnamon spice at discount stores and grocery stores. I hate it when I forget to notice this stuff. It is funny and scary all the same time. If I wasn't on my toes I might have stuffed myself with chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie yesterday!!!

It's not so much the odors I found that surprised me as much as my lack of smell awareness. How many hundreds of stores have I been in with no clue what I was smelling. Learning to be awake as I go through the day is the lesson I learn, not if a store adds odors or not. Truly, I have no idea if they do or don't but I do know I'm not paying attention and that is very interesting.

What a cool practice: learning to smell as I shop.

Happy shopping and sniffing,

1 comment:

  1. Have you found a residue free paper towel? They put something on the paper that left on the glass. I've tried newspaper but it leaves black stuff all over my hands.